Wyoming Car Insurance

Last updated on April 26th, 2018

Car insurance in the state of Wyoming is compulsory, meaning that every vehicle that is going to be operated on a public road must have the minimum amounts of coverage as stipulated by Wyoming car insurance law.  As a tort state Wyoming requires residents to maintain liability coverage, which is coverage that can be used if the policy holder is found to be liable for an accident, on their vehicle at all times. The minimum amount of liability coverage required for every registered vehicle is as follows; $25,000 for bodily injury liability coverage for a single person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for a single accident and $20,000 in property damage liability coverage. These are the minimum amounts of each coverage type required and if they so wish residents are free to purchase more liability coverage than is required by the state. If a Wyoming resident does not want to purchase a liability car insurance policy there are relatively few options available to them unless they have the money or assets to purchase a $25,000 certificate of deposit, surety bond or certificate of insurance. Due to the high upfront costs of these options a vast majority of Wyoming vehicle owners choose to purchase an auto insurance liability policy with monthly or yearly premiums.

In addition to the required liability coverage most Wyoming residents will be able to purchase a variety of optional forms of coverage that will help to protect them financially if they are involved in an accident. Vehicle owners that wish to make sure the damage to their vehicle will be paid for, regardless of who was at fault in an accident, can purchase comprehensive and collision coverage. This type of coverage not only covers damage to the insured vehicle that resulted from an accident with another driver but is also covers physical damage to the vehicle that was the result of the environment or natural causes, such as hail damage or the damage received from hitting an animal on the road. Comprehensive and collision coverage is one of the most popular types of coverage due to the facts that it protects the vehicle owner form the most common types of damages that they would have to pay for. When a vehicle is purchased using financing the lender will usually require that the vehicle be insured with comprehensive and collision coverage as long as the loan is still active.

Wyoming car insurance law requires that drivers keep proof of insurance or proof of financial responsibility with them at all times. If a driver is pulled over or involved in an accident the law enforcement officer on the scene will request to see their proof of insurance. The state also makes sure that vehicles are insured by cross referencing a list of insured vehicles provided by insurance companies with a list of vehicles registered with the state. Any vehicle that is appears on the DMVs registration list but does not appear on the currently insured list is considered to be uninsured. If a vehicle is found to be uninsured the vehicle owner will be given 7 days to provide proof of insurance before the DMV takes action.  Insurance companies are also required to notify the Department of Transportation immediately if a policy holder allows their coverage to lapse or cancels. Upon receipt of such notification the driver’s license will be immediately suspended and cannot be reinstated until the driver submit valid proof of insurance or financial responsibility and pays any required reinstatement fees. Wyoming also ensures that registered vehicle have the required amount of car insurance by requiring drivers to provide proof of insurance at the time they register their vehicle with the DMV. Vehicle owners that cannot provide the necessary proof of insurance will not be allowed to register their vehicle with the state. If at any time a driver fails to provide necessary proof of insurance or is discovered to be driving uninsured they will face a series of penalties allowed by state law. The state of Wyoming considers driving without insurance to be a misdemeanor and tends to punish the offense rather severely. For a first violation of state car insurance law a Wyoming motorist could be fined between $250 and $750 depending on the situation and the driver’s history. Such an offense can also be punished by up to 6 months in prison or both prison and a fine but in a vast majority of cases where negligence was not involved driving uninsured will not result in jail time for a first offense. Drivers that are caught driving uninsured a second time will face a fine of up to $1,500 and six months in jail. Repeat offenders will also be required by law to return the vehicle’s registration and license plates until they have paid all fines, served all jail time and provided proof of insurance to the DMV.